Tuesday, November 06, 2012
Samsung For Enterprise (SAFE) Program Debuts In Europe

Samsung has launched Samsung For Enterprise (SAFE) in Europe ahead of global roll-out, a program of security standards designed to help companies find mobile devices that are safe to use.

Samsung designed the SAFE program to offer companies a secure way to launch their BYOD (Bring-Your-Own-Device) programs, allowing employers and employees to use their smartphones and tablets at work.

Samsung claims that SAFE devices meet Samsung's own strict standards for reliability and security, while SAFE-approved applications for corporate data and email, on-device encryption, virtual private networks and mobile device management provide IT managers with control and security. It makes mobile device administration easier, and ends worries about the fragmentation of the Android platform.

SAFE smartphones and tablets provide stronger security on the device level to corporate employees using IT policy management through Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) and on device encryption (ODE). In addition, it provides an extensive Software Development Kit (SDK) to Samsung's solution partners, which allows them to develop solutions on Samsung devices.

Through the SAFE Partner Program, Samsung's Solution Partners can provide solutions supporting various features such as VPN and MDM using Samsung?s B2B platform. VPN and MDM solution vendors are already developing solutions based on Samsung smartphones and tablets.

Samsung's SAFE Quality Assurance provides in-house reviews of solutions based on SAFE Program standards. That helps corporate IT departments to select devices that meet the reliability standards established by Samsung.

Consumers will be also able to check if an app or a device is supported by SAFE from the SAFE logo on the box of the device and app description page on the Appstore.

SAFE Members can only be registered by invitation. Among members of SEAP (Samsung Enterprise Alliance Program), only invited partners are able to develop and provide differentiated SAFE solutions.

In terms of partners' solutions, the SAFE program is currently applicable only to VPN and MDM categories. Under the SAFE agreement between solution partners and Samsung, partners' solutions that support the SAFE Platform will go through Samsung's SAFE Quality Assurance Program.

SAFE is marked for a Samsung device which has been tested against Samsung's own internal criteria for interoperability with certain third party security-related solutions for MDM and VPN. Devices are tested with the security solutions to see if the solutions work with the device as described by the third party security solution providers. The third party security solution providers who comply with Samsung?s Quality Assurance process will be provided with the "Samsung Quality Assurance Guidelines" that describe the required detailed testing activities.